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This is going to sound appalling, but if we really want to become super – human and actually be cyborgs, emotions must go. Yes, we are (some of us) are very rational but it’s the emotions (jealousy, anger, envy, pride, sadness, etc.) that trip us up – every single time!!! If we are going to make progress, the emotions must go – it’s the only way to make progress.

I’m not advocating the eradication of emotions, after all that’s what makes homo sapiens human, but our progress to utopia and to a bliss state will just be impossible with stupid things like jealousy and pride. And here’s the worst of the worst – “The Ego”. Every Zen Master going back thousands of years ago knew that the ego was the biggest hindrance and ultimate source of all pain.

So WhaDaYaThink? What do you think? Again, I personally don’t want this to happen, but brace yourselves, because it’s coming – for SURE!!! People my age will probably be dead and gone, but your children may be around.

I am a huge David Letterman fan and don’t particularly care for Joan Rivers, but I was pleased to hear that Dave was only joking when he walked out on Ms. Rivers the other night. Though there is plenty of crassness and incivility in our society, I think the world of comedy would be in a lot of trouble if comedians started censoring other comedians and entertainers.
What I find interesting and ironic, is today’s over – the – top political correctness comes more from the left rather than the right. I thought that the whole World Cup commentary in which the announcer called one of the players a moreno (which means black or brown in Spanish) was silly, over – blown, and not racist at all. However, people are being fined, fired, and sued over such innocuous remarks.
Anthony Cumia from the Opie and Anthony Show tweeted some rather indelicate things (no “n-word, btw”) after being physically attacked by a black fan. Cumia’s employer, Sirius radio, subsequently fired him.
I am a liberal and believe everyone ought to be treated equally including blacks, gays, women, trans – gender, etc but we’re unfortunately witnessing a backlash.
So WhaDaYaThink ? What do you think ? Of course the lines are different when it comes to comedy, but the last 2 examples here were serious in nature.

I very rarely use my cell phone (I have one only for emergencies) and I was very seriously considering disconnecting myself completely from Facebook and only keeping LinkedIn (only for business purposes). I decided to stay on FaceBook only because of our blog. Most of our readers are actually not FB members, but I think we have a few, so….

Surely, Facebook has certain redeeming qualities i.e. finding old long lost friends and classmates, etc. but after that, ENOUGH !!!

Have you ever been to an engagement or family function and everyone seems to be playing with their mobile – texting, taking pictures, surfing the net … everything, but being “present” enjoying the company of one another i.e. human interaction and being in the “now.”

What is it about “us” (myself included) that 1. Constantly wants to be distracted & 2. Thrives on attention. We all have thoughts, opinions, feelings about everything under the sun and part of being human is sharing it with other people. The aforementioned is fine and dandy but when you feel the need to throw a picture of yourself up on FB after getting a haircut or giving a blow – by – blow description of your recent colonoscopy procedure, well …

This is nice and short, because addition to the theme of this blog, we also all have Twitter attention spans (another blog) Anyway, WhadaYaThink ? What do you think ? There’s a term out there for us folks who are fed up with technology – Neo-Luddism.

Mindfulness, TM (Transcendental Meditation), Movement meditation like Tai – Chi (I have been practicing Tai – Chi for 3 decades), breath – counting … just to mention a few types (hey it’s essentially the same stuff, I’ll elaborate in just a sec…)of meditation practices that are proven methods for peace of mind and good health.

Most people, especially westerners are prodigiously skeptical of , to which the title alludes, this new age thing called – meditation. But, listen up, the facts are the facts: doctors from this country (U.S.) and rigorous clinical studies have clearly shown that meditation of any kind:

· Normalizes blood pressure (not just lowers, in other words)
· Reduces risk of heart attack and stroke
· Minimizes stress
· Cures insomnia (actually, I don’t mean cure here, but it definitely helps. I’ve suffered from insomnia my whole life and I can honestly attest that I’d be a sleepless zombie if it not were for my meditation practices)
· Reduces anxiety and depression
· And leaves you with a sort of sense of calm throughout the day (calm for me anyway, lol). I am and always have been a “Nervous Nellie” . I wish this were not the case, but hyperactivity and nervousness is just part of my temperament and genetic make – up. Before I discovered Tai – Chi and meditation in 1983 I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown – I kid you not.

In a nutshell, meditation (any form) is simply the arduous painstakingly practice of paying attention to the most boring and uninteresting thing a human being can possibly imagine e.g. following and counting your breath – inhale … exhale … inhale … exhale. What this practice does, is simple 1. Train you to be in the moment 2. Improve your concentration and put a halt to extraneous distractions other than the task at hand (counting your breaths for example. Oh, incidentally it’s impossible for your mind not to wander about to other matters, but that is all part of the meditation practice… intrusive thoughts pop into your mind, & now your job is to gently bring your attention back to breath – counting) and 3. Permit you to become the “viewer”, “watcher”, “third person” who uncritically and without judgment allows one’s body to do what it wants to. THAT’S IT !!! There is nothing mystical about it. You don’t have to convert to Buddhism and you certainly don’t need a mantra (as TM suggests).

So WhaDaYaThink ? What do you think ? I know David Lynch (the surrealist Film director) has been proselytizing about TM over the past couple of years. I’m telling you, once you fully grasp and understand it, it truly becomes a part of your everyday life and you quickly realize that it’s something without which you simply cannot live. YEP, it changes your life forever !!! Check out this YouTube clip of Howard Stern (everyone knows I personally hate Stern, but here he is amazingly articulate, passionate…) and Jerry Seinfeld drinking coffee and having a discussion about a simple but profound practice that has been around for at least 6000 years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPLn1ZgGxos

What is the deal with kiosk booths and the remote control helicopter (who knows, maybe the concept was the progenitor of drones – lol) ??? Or how about the glittery cell phone covers, other cheap flying junk & mechanical animals that walk around and make oink – oink sounds. I almost NEVER go to strip malls, but when I do, there they are … those independent booth owners hawking nauseating kitsch. My question is –DOES ANYONE BUY THIS STUFF ???

Sometimes the merchants will sell some sort of secret skin cream that will make you look 20 years younger and remove every wrinkle from your face. How about those inane vibrating chairs that some people sit in thinking that that they’re getting a massage. One of my favorites is the skin burning machine i.e. tanning booth. Sure you might get malignant melanoma, but at least you’ll have a nice tan – … uggh, we’re a strange species, indeed!!!

So WhaDaYaThink ? What do you think ? Everybody seems impressed with the miniature helicopter flying around the mall, but I personally have never seen a person actually buy one of those things.

There are more young women than young men in graduate school, more female breadwinners, and more women in high – level executive positions than there ever have been in the history of this country. We have gay marriage, a black president and there is a greater than fair chance that our next president in 2016 maybe a woman i.e. Hillary Clinton. Though the United States is still in the middle of a horrible recession (thanks to greed and sub-prime mortgages), this nation has made tremendous strides in terms of equal rights and civil rights.
Just try to imagine how unspeakably bad & unfair it was for blacks (separate water fountains & bathrooms, back of the bus nonsense, & scarily literal lynching), women were treated like Barbie dolls … etc. LOOK how far we’ve come in just a half a decade. It is nothing short of miraculous!!! We as a country have accomplished so much in such a short period of time, but … The irony (or maybe it’s no coincidence) is that the republicans are more right wing than ever – why ???

I am a white male, and I am a liberal, and I couldn’t be happier with the progress this country has made in terms of the aforementioned yet in some respects, there is some sort of appalling backlash afoot. On the other hand, perhaps this is just the natural order of things when profound change occurs.

I will certainly elaborate in the future on each and every issue but you know the under 500 word blog format. So, WhaDaYaThink ? What do you think ? Incidentally, over the weekend, as we all know… Donald Sterling, the owner of the L.A. Clippers, made the most hateful and racist remarks I’ve ever heard. So perhaps we’re in a 1 step forward, two steps back time – I hope not !! What do you think?

When I was in my early twenties, I used to read a lot of glib and facile nonsense authored by people like Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Dr. Wayne Dyer … you know what I’m talking about : “How to become a millionaire in 90 days” type of rubbish (One of my favorite titles is ‘Think and Grow Rich’ – just have a clear image of success in your mind & the $$$ will just start rolling in).

Today there is a whole herd of these self – proclaimed motivational gurus with their rags to riches success stories (Tony Robbins, Eckhart Tolle, Richard Carlson … the list is endless) who are just eagerly awaiting you to open up your pocket book and make themselves, not you, rich – how sad. Everyone with an ounce of common sense knows that life is just not that easy. A medical Doctor doesn’t make a dime until he or she is nearly 30 years old; and prior to which they’re eating macaroni and cheese and studying their butt off every waking moment.
I think the reason many people are turning to these so – called messiahs of success in record numbers is because the economy is so god – awful and we’re desperate. What I find most troublesome about the gurus is that they are giving people false hope and preying upon our society’s (especially generation millenial’s) unquenchable thirst for instant gratification. The reality is that very often, even if you have the most incredible work ethic, you still might end up poor and miserable. Lady Luck and coming from an affluent family (the lucky sperm club) is 99% of the game.
So WhaDaYaThink ? What do you think ? I hate to be cynical, and certainly I’m not suggesting that it’s impossible for an individual to come from an impoverished family and end up wealthy and successful, but the odds are stacked up against you. As George Carlin used to say (I’m paraphrasing here) “The American dream is an illusion and the reason they refer to it as a dream, is that you have to be asleep to believe in it.”

I hate to blow the whistle on the fact that Ann Coulter in real life is slightly to the left of Karl Marx. There are approximately 60 + extraordinarily attractive looking women working for Fox ( I will insert the FOX girls website @ the end, so you will read my little blog here).

Yep, Fox News has hit the jack – pot in terms of what will get ratings. It seems natural and normal that most sane and rational women would most certainly be liberal when one considers” Free Choice, Equal Pay, Sexual Harassment, on & on, but here you see on the prodigiously successful cable news network show, scores of women touting and advocating the most outrageously ridiculous right – wing nonsensical propaganda .

Adding insult to injury, is the fact that these FOX broadcaster/models are half – naked when they’re slamming you in the face about anything remotely fair, compassionate, and liberal. Another matter to consider, is though they’re barely wearing any clothing (how short can a mini – skirt be in December???) they’re not stupid – far from it !!! Rich mommy and daddy have ensured that their Barbie doll daughters have been raised properly and have gone to the most pedigree and ivy – league schools on the planet.
So WhaDaYaThink ? What do you think ? What I find most entertaining, is the fact that they’re so angry – lol. Okay, here’s the the FOX women list http://www.foxnewsgirls.com/

Bar none, the greatest, most interesting, entertaining, educational, eclectic, thought – provoking radio talk show (terrestrial or satellite) is and has been for decades, The Leonard Lopate show formerly New York and Company on WNYC and NPR. There is simply not a talk show host, nor has there ever been a host for decades now that could even come remotely close in terms of the aforementioned superlatives (except for Brian Leher, Lopate’s colleague, who has his own show on WNYC from 10 am – noon, just before Leonard’s show) than the masterful – Leonard Lopate. The only criticism some people may have about Lopate’s show , is that it is prodigiously “brainy” and yes that is awesome, but sometimes we just want to kick back and take in some good old entertainment, educational or not & take it easy; after all learning is essentially work (though I personally don’t see it as such).

However, I am not blogging about Leonard Lopate today. I am here to spread the word about a podcast that is so interesting and an absolute gem … I could listen to it all day and never, ever get bored and unlike listening to Leonard’s show – perhaps a lecture of sorts (admittedly, you do feel like you are in graduate school when you tune into Leonard). Joe Rogan (BTW, yes it is the same Joe Rogan who did that insanely dumb show ‘Fear Factor’ but obviously this is not “that Joe Rogan” – hey we all have to eat, so….) is relaxed, unpretentious, comfortable, extremely intelligent and informal as one can be (Joe curses a lot & I mean a lot) and he talks about the most interesting stuff imaginable & has great guests. Even if the guests aren’t great, Joe Rogan makes them sound great. As a matter of fact, Joe Rogan is such an awesome entertainer, he even makes the commercials fun.

For example, I just finished listening to one of the latest Joe Rogan podcasts with the lead singer of the band – Tool (incidentally a band I don’t even care about in the least), Maynard James Keenan, and I, quite frankly, can’t imagine having had been more glued, entertained, and more fun … well !!!

In a nutshell, here is a list of topics they talked about: Holy moly it’s a lot in 2 hrs. mind you:

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The very weird music of Tool (BTW, it’s for the most part heavy metal music, but the lead singer is a genius – really, there is a lot of tongue in cheek & satire)

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The meaning of life.

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Jaguars migrating to the U.S. (yikes, how scary is that folks ???) You think a pit bull or a Wolf is frightening, just youTube a jaguar, it’s not even close.

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Winemaking – I didn’t think I would enjoy this portion of the show, because I don’t drink wine, but WOW!!! What an interesting and fascinating process the making of wine is – wow !!!

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Jiu – Jitsu & Mixed Martial Arts

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The unfathomable mystery of why we become so immersed in a particular hobby.

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The absolute drudgery and loneliness of being on the road & having to stay in motels/hotels if you’re a musician, comedian, entertainer, etc.

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Getting old

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Getting sick

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The creeps in N. Arizona, specifically in Sedona.

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Sedona, AZ has more new – agey people who are into their crystals, chakras, & energy pathways than anywhere else in the country….weird!!!

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The cult hangouts in Los Angeles

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Those idiots who knocked over 100 million + yr. old rocks for s**ts & giggles …almost like knocking over Stonehenge

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Dumb people

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The incredible wonderment of the desert.

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Just taking stock of the incredible rocks and weird formations out west in the desert e.g. wind and sand erosion structures that look like unimaginable forms.

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Fascinating landscapes in the U.S.A.

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Running out of gas in the desert (good luck – lol)

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Following your bliss

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Life is too short to not create with every breath you take.

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Artists and motivated people.

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Work ethic

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Reality food shows

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The underrated sense of smell.

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Evan Tanner – MMA fighter who died in the desert.

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Self – discovery journeys.

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Constantly testing yourself and pushing yourself to the limit.

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Nature and living off the land.

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Nature does not care about you – respect that !!!

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The 10 – 80 – 10 rule: 10% of any given community is kind, caring, giving, and productive. 80% are mindless knuckleheads who are neither good nor bad and 10% are slime who firstly ought to be tarred and feathered and then be summarily run over by a heavy vehicle.

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Exotic meat restaurants e.g. lions, javelinas, etc.

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The meanest, most conservative sheriff in the nation – Sheriff Arpaio who insists that all the county inmates wear pink underwear in order to humiliate them – lol.

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Jan Brewer: The dumbest governor in the country – even stupider than our former president – George W. Bush.

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Yoga

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Bad movies/Good movies

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Gender identity and transvestites

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Stupid TV

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Actors unraveling

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Art for art’s sake … doing something without any thought of being compensated.

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Opiates/painkillers and the epidemic we have on our hands.

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Kids and the internet.

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If you live on the east coast and you’re a kid, there is nothing BETTER than a snow day …..YAY !!! NO SCHOOL – MAGICAL !!!

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Being born rich is perhaps the worst curse in life.

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Los Angeles is without question the most fake & unreal city in the country and perfect for movies and TV.

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Psychedelic drugs e.g. peyote, mushrooms

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Fasting

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Zen

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Physics/geometry/angles/molecules

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Words

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Samurai swords … the tradition, the process of manufacturing them with honor, etc.

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Indigenous tribes that still exist

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Soft life=soft people …answer, we must reset or reboot

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The earth is a living entity.

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We’re now dependent on everything either digital (0’s & 1’s) and electrical.

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How about not even having a hard drive, just clouds….life in the near future is truly spooky !!!

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We’re living in unfathomably strange times.

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Does anything we do really mean anything in terms of the larger picture???

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Seeking a higher truth from the seemingly trivial.

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Vinyl records, books, etc …can we retrieve them if there is some sort of digital disaster???

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Edward Snowden – it’s so funny that we make fun of him for not having an advanced degree, yet we hear him in the news everyday & the NSA allowed him to have access to all this incredibly top – secret info.

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Privacy issues.

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Depth/movement/passion/uncertainty/fear

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Tattoos …who would have guessed what an incredible industry it has become now???

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Japanese tattoos

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The military today.

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Liberals and conservatives.

WhaDaYaThink ? What do you think ? Joe Rogan is simply off the charts great!!! The topics I brought up are unbelievably from just one show!!!

People are angry and if you’re a celebrity or happen to be perceived as someone who happens to have some sort of privilege in this country, the United states of America, or as Bill Maher calls this republic “the greatest Ponzi scheme ever known to man”, then you’re a mark.

You don’t have to be anybody for that matter like myself, who is simply a person along with my wife who has a free op – ed blog; most of the time the comments are civil, incisive, and just great (we’re lucky here) but occasionally you will get some knucklehead who will spew non – sensical hatred. The real over – the – top animus can be found on any of the social networks like Facebook (if you have friends of friends of friends who really aren’t your friends). You will also encounter satanic bile if you elect to get involved in a thread in a chat room or any other such forum in which there is relative anonymity and no regulation. And the fact that current technology allows any given individual to be nameles is the reason we see this or if you buy into what Bill Maher says that people are truly insanely unhinged because of this dreadfully bad econmy.

It’s frightening to think that there are really people out there who are filled with this “disturbing unhinged hatred”. The daily Kos used this phrase, which incidentally sums it all up. Click on the link and enjoy…this is very funny.

So WhaDaYaThink ? What do you think? I loved what Joe Rogan had to say about people who tell you to “Die ! Die! Die ! you talentless fu#$@% lowlife, etc.” in which he said that he’d love to take out his treasured samurai sword and disembowel everyone of these pusilanimous anonymous cowards.